Rolling stock



oct. 4; 1932. A HAP'IN ET AL 1,881,045 v ROLLING STOCK Filed Jan. 20. 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet l Inventors;

f v v AZbeZt-"JCTIQ UZZZ, V Y Georycwfilzaveq.

- Attorgzeyfi Oct. 4, 1932. A. Ji CHAPINET AL I ROLLING STOCK 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 20. 1930 Inventors; fi AlberZJCZza z'zz, GeozyeWSlzavez;

Atfiorm y;

Oct. 4, 1932. A. J. CHAPIN ET AL ROLLING STOCK 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 20. 1930 I" V J,

Inventors;

Albert JCZzapz'll,

George VIZ-Shaver. v

Oct 4, 1932. A. J. CHAPIN ET AL ROLLING STOCK Filed Jan. 20, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet Inventors; Albert JCZzapz'zz, George (Ska/vet" Attorney Patented Oct. 4, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- ALBERT J. CHAIPIN, 01? LOS ANGELES, AND GEORGE W. SHAVER, OF SAN DIEGO, CALI- FORNIA, ASSIGNORS TO ALBERT J. CHAPIN AND GEORGE W. SHAVER Ronnie srocx Application filed January 20, 1930. Serial No. 422,165.

This invention relates to railway equipment and more particularly to wheels and road-beds for railway equipment; and, in one important aspect, contemplates the subdivision of such wheels into wheels per se and flanges per se, each performing its function in association with the other but not as a component part of the other. In accordance with the present invention the wheel may or may not traverse the track or rail, but the flange cooperates with the track or rail, or other road-bed feature, to confine the wheeled vehicle to a definite course of travel, in that respect corresponding to the function of the flanges Of wheels of present standard practice. Such flange may so coact with rails of present standard type or of many modified and substitute forms, or may coact with roadbed features distinctly at variance in type and structure from rails per so. To the foregoing ends, the invention likewise concerns the provision of suitable road-bed rail or other'features to so coact with the flange. Within its broad aspects, the invention likewise contemplates the entire omission of a V flange from a wheel, and the formation of the road-bed, or provision upon or in the roadbed, whereby the wheel or wheels is or are confined to a definite course of travel without the employment of any flange element.

More particularly does the invention concern the utilization of wheels having flexible or resilient or yielding tread portions, which may traverse rails or tracks or traverse roadbed or paving, or both, and such wheels may be constructed and organized to simulate the wheels of automobile and truck ractice as well as automobile bus practice, elther cushion, pneumatic or solid tires being utilized for the wheels. Thus the metal-to-metal rolling contact or tractive contact of present day railway wheels is eliminated, and together with same are eliminated the attendant noises and clatter and jar, which are particularly obnoxious in urban traction at crossings and cross-overs. The flange element, or road-bed formation, is provided and devised to coact with such wheel structures, confining the rollin .stock to its course; and also, if there be a failure of the wheel, such as a deflation of a pneumatic tire or the casing of a tire, such flange element will immediately operate to impart the load to the track or road-bed, taking the load off from the impaired tire, or the wheel rim in case a tire is lost, until the rolling stock can be brought to a stop or suitable replacement and repair efl'ected. In preferred practice, the flange element is assembled together with the wheel or wheels and rotates therewith in rigid couple.

The invention is particularly desirable for utilization in street railway practice, although it is susceptible to adaptation and use in interurban and long-haul service, such as now performed in motor bus operation, the range of which in the United States has extended beyond interurban service and into interstate and transcontinental service.

The divorcing of the flange element from the Wheel per se permits of a much wider range of modification and adaptation of the wheel per se, over and beyond present day practice in which the wheel and its flange are of metal and integrally formed. The invention contem lates this complete transformation in its roadest sense, and is not to be understood as limited in its nature and scope to any particular class or character of wheels or of flanges, each of which may be modified and reorganized,.within the purview of the invention, to meet the requirements of any particular class of service or the desire of any practitioners in the art. It will, therefore, be understood that the present invention is not concerned primarily with details or specific factors, although certain of same will be discussed herein and are disclosed in the drawings, as entering into several preferred variants which embod the invention.

Various other 0 jects will appear from the description and drawings.

l/Vith such objects in view, the invention consists in the novel and useful provision,

formation, association, combination, interrelation and construction of parts, members and features and elements, all as hereinafter described, shown in the drawings, and finally. pointed out in claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a truck shown as operating upon a conventional for railway rolling stock with wheel and flange elements constructed and rovided and assembled in accordance with t e invention; part of the road-bed, with tracks or rails, bein shown in association therewith;

iig. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged partial elevation, part- 1 in radial section, taken upon the line 3-3, I igure 1, and looking in the direction of the ap ended arrows;

ig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of the features shown in Figure 3, looking in the direction of the appended arrow;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing a modified form of construction, the tires therein disclosed being solid whereas they are pneumatic in the showing in Figure 3; v

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side elevation thereof looking in the direction of the appended arrow;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view similar to Figure 3, showing a modified form of roadbed feature with which the flange element coacts Fig. 8 is a similar view of a still further modified form of construction;

Fig. 9 is a similar view of a modified form of construction of wheel and flange, utilizing the present invention in association with a conventional flanged wheel, the same being type T-rail; and

Fig. 10 is a similar view of a still further modified form of both wheel and road-bed construction, and a varied association between same, the flange element being omitted and a substitute therefor being provided in the road-bed.

Corresponding parts in all the figures are designated by the same reference characters.

Referrin with particularity to the drawings, A in %Fig. 1, desi ates a standard or conventional or any pre erred or suitable type of railway or rolling stock truck, such as emgioyed in electric railway practice, the roadd B being provided with tracks b which are illustrated as of the Trilby type which, as shown more clearly in other figures, includes a base 11, and upstanding web 12 and a flat crown 13 at one side of which is provided a longitudinal channel, groove or recess 14, adapted to receive a wheel flange, such groove bein confined by sidewalls 13a and 14a. As has en stated above and will hereinafter appear, the rail or track element to be emgioyed in the practice of the invention may widely varied in type and formation and function and, in at least one form illustrated, and possibly in others, may be dispensed with, and a substitute provlsion made, as shown in Fi re 8.

11 Figure 1, we have illustrated a plurality of groups, C comprisin each one or more wheels D and a flange-e ement E which, in that figure, is shown as disposed between the wheel elements. The flange element is assembled together with one of the wheel elements at each side, and it coacts with the rail or track 6, entering the recess or channel or groove 14 and servmg to guide the wheels in with the flange element for purposes of guidance. In Figures 1 to 7 the two wheel elements D are illustrated as traversing in the main the road-bed proper, although at times flexion of the tire element or elements, due to compression thereof, may cause a partial engagement of either wheel element with the rail. It will be noted that in all of the figfires excepting Fig. 9, there is a complete divorcement of the flange element from the wheel element or elements, which permits of the utilization of the flange element primarily for purposes of guidance, and likewise permits of modifying and altering the wheel element so that it may have all the features of advantage incident to flexible or resilient material or organization for the purposes hereinabove initiall stated. The same advantages attach to t e modified forms shown in Figures 9 and 10, in which, as stated, a separate wheel element is applied to a standard or conventional wheel and flan e in Figure 9, and no flange is utilized in Figure 10, but

rather a substitute therefor.

In Fi re 9, it will be noted that a T-rail of great y increased width of crown is pro- I vided so that the conventional wheel and the further wheel element associated .therewith both may have contact with the rail, the tread of the conventional wheel having such contact upon any failure of the other wheel element and. the flange of the conventional wheel coacting with the rail for purposes of idance. The other wheel element may contact with the roadway if desired.

In Fi res 1 to 6, the wheel elements D are disclose as comprising each the standard or any preferred type of rim 15 mounted u on a circular disc 16, and a pneumtic tire of an preferred or suitable type 17, applied to sue rim. Between the discs 15 provided the flange element E, which may have a web or hub 18, the outer marginal portion or peripheral portion 19 of which simulates and takes the place spaced away from the road-bedor any feature thereof, so that there is no load-imparting rolling contact therewith under ordinary conditions. Upon failure or impairment of the tire, however, the flange element may act to support the load.

The hub 18 of the flange element E and the discs 16 of the wheel elements D are bolted together, as by bolts 20, by which they are secured to flanged hub 21 and a cap plate 22, and th's hub may be associated with the axle and journal of the wheel, or suitably associated with the truck frame, and mounted therein, in any desired or suitable manner, all outside of the subject-matter of the present invention. However, our invention in one aspect has to do with the assembling together and combining of the wheel element or elements and the separate flange element with the hub as shown in-the drawings.

In Figures and 6 the same general combination and inter-relation of parts and features is disclosed as in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, save and except that the wheel elements D include solid or cushion tires 22 such as are conventionally employed for heavy motor truck service. It will be understood that the invention is in no wise limited to the particular nature and character or make-up or design or structure of the tire or wheel tread, such as exemplified by the pneumatic tire 17 or solid or cushion tire 22, the invention in one important aspect, as stated, having to do with departure from the conjoint use of metallic wheel and metallic flange, or at least from the sole use of same.

Reviewing somewhat further the disclosuresof Figure 1, it will be obvious that it is not essential to practice of the invention that there be provided two wheel elements D with a flange element E between the same or associated with the same, but that a single wheel element alone may be employed in combinationwith each of the flange elements; or, it desirable, a still further wheel element or wheel elements might be added to the combination.

In the operation of the rolling stock equipped with the invention as disclosed in these six figures, the load is normally imparted to the road-bed entirely through the wheel or wheel elements I), which traverse the roadsbed B entirely apart'from the track or tracks I), or traverse the track or tracks in part and the road-bed in part, or a combination and association of parts and features may be effected so that the wheel elements traverse the rail or track, or suitable type of rail or track, entirely, as illustrated in Figure 9. By

departing from the normal or standard or.

conventional cast steel wheel. or integral 1 metal wheel, including both tread and flange,

wide variations may be made in the make-up and structure and adaptability of the wheel 65 element and the flange element, and, with particular advantage, the wheel element may e designed and organized and constructed so as to provide flexlon or resilience or cushion action between the vehicle and the roadbed, whereby the invention confers upon the rolling stock the advantages and comforts and minimizing or elimination of noise and clatter and jolt and jar, which flow from the use of the said cast steel or metal wheel. Ordinarily the flange element will only come into play as a load carrier upon impairment of t e efficiency of the wheel elements. Thereupon for a short distance of travel, until replacement or repair can be effected, the flange element may carry the load and serve temporarily as a wheel, imparting the load to the rail or road-bed.

Referring'now to Figure 7 we have therein disclosed a form and type of wheel element and flange element construction and combination similar to that shown in Figures 1 to 6 inclusive, save and except the same are shown as associated for service with a road-bed B in which is disposed a rail element or track 0 having a base 23, a web 24 and a crown 25 which is transversely of forked construction, producing two spaced crown members 25a and 256 between which isconfined a longitudinal groove or channel or recess 26 which receives and accommodates the flange element E, which cooperates with the walls of such groove 26 for purposes of guidance, and may impart to such crown within such groove'the weight or load of the vehicle, in part, if there be an impairment or failure of the wheel elements, which are shown as having pneumatic tires 17.

In Figure 8 is shown a combination of features substantially the same as in Figure 7, with a flange element E of possibly greater diameter over all than the diameter of the wheel elements, the said flange element dipping into a chamber or slot 27 provided in the road-bed B and having a bottom plate 28, surface plates 29 likewise being set into the road-bed at opposite sides of the mouth of the slot, and serving as tracks or ways to support the wheel elements D, and likewise to receive lateral thrust of the flange element E for purposes of guidance. In case of impairment of the wheel elements the flange element E in this form may impart the load of the vehicle in part to the bottom plate 28. It will be understood that the slot 27, similar in provision to the cable slot of a power-cable railway, extends longitudinally of the road-bed, two of same being provided, suitably spaced apart, in our practice, preferably.

Referring to the form of construction shown in Figure 9, there is therein illustrated a track or wheel element (Z of modified form, havin a base flange 29, a web 30 and a relatively roadened crown 31, which is of such width that it may accommodate the tread 32 of a conventional rolling stock or car wheel F, the integral flange 33 of which may exert lateral thrust against the crown 31 for purposes of guidance, whether or not the tread 32 be in contact with the crown; there being associated with such conventional wheel F a wheel element D such as shown in the other figures, and which wheel element D may traverse the crown 31-; or, if desired, the dimensions of the crown 31' may be such and the proportions and association of the wheel element D and wheel F be such, that the wheel element D may entirely traverse the road-bed, or the road-bed in part and the rail in part. In case of anyfailure or impairment of the wheel. element D in this form, the tread 32 of the conventional wheel F may be engaged with the crown 31 and in part impart the load of the vehicle to the rail until repair or replacement be made.

With respect to the form of construction shown in Figure 10, the flange element E is entirely omitted therefrom, and two coupled or associated wheel elements D are disclosed between which is received an upstanding guide element G, preferably provided as a longitudinal rib 34 upon a road-bed plate 35 set into the road-bed B, and having preferably inwardly'and upwardly curved side walls 34a terminating in a curved crown 346, such rib serving in practice as a substitute for any flange element E or flange of a conventional wheel, such as 33, for purpose of guidance. The two wheel elements at in this case may traverse the lateral portions 35a of the plate 35, or they may traverse same in part and the road-bed B in part or the road-bed B entirely. In this case, should impairment or failure of the wheel elements D occur, the load may be imparted temporarily to the 'crown- 34?) by an auxiliary wheel element H which may be assembled together with the wheel elements D in a manner similar to the assembly of the wheel elements D and flange element E in other figures. It will be obvious that either of the, wheel elements D in Figure 10 may be eliminated and still the vehicle will be guided due to the provision of the upstanding guide elements G. Similarly, it is obvious that one of the crown members 25a and 25b of each rail 0, in Figure 7, and one of the surface plates 29 shown in Figure 8, may be eliminated, and still suitable guidance be effected, if provision is made at both sides of the road-bed. Thus, it is obvious that flange elements and coacting roadbed features need not be provided, of necessity, at both sides of the road-bed.

It is obvious that various modifications and changes and substitutions and rearrange- -ments, with respect to the specific showing of the drawings and disclosure of the foregoing description, may be made, in adapting the invention to varying conditions and uses and without departing from the true spirit of the invention.

Having thus disclosed our invention, we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In means of the character disclosed, a load-supporting wheel, and separate means fixedly assembled with the hub thereof for directing motion of same.

2. In means of the character disclosed, a load-supporting wheel, and a fixed flange element for same and combined with the hub thereof.

3. In means of the character disclosed, a load-supporting wheel, and a separate flange element for same; said flange element being constructed and adapted to support load upon impairment of efliciency of said wheel and fixedly secured to the hub thereof.

4. In means of the character disclosed, a plurality of wheel elements and a separate element for directing motion of same and in unitary assemblage with the hub of one wheel element.

5. In .means of the character disclosed, a hub, a wheel element mounted upon the hub,

and a. separate fixed flange element mounted upon the hub.

6. In means of the character disclosed, a hub, a wheel element mounted upon the hub, a separate flange element mounted upon the hub, and means for fixedly uniting said wheel and flange and hub.

7. In means of the character disclosed, a hub, a wheel rim mounted upon the hub, a resilient tire mounted upon the rim, and separate means fixedly combined with the hub for directing motion of the wheel.

8. In means of the character disclosed, a U

hub, a wheel rim mounted upon the hub, a resilient tire mounted upon the rim, and separate means fixedly combined with the hub for directing motion of the wheel; said separate means comprising a flange element.

9. In means of the character disclosed, a hub, a wheel rim mounted upon the hub, a resilient tire mounted upon the rim, and separate means combined with the hub for directing motion of the wheel; said separate means comprising a flange element; said flange element being constructed and adapted to support load upon impairment of said wheel.

10. In means of the character disclosed, a wheel element having a resilient tread portion adapted to coact with a rail,- separate means for directing the wheel element, and a further wheel in fixed relation therewith and of which saidmeans constitutes a flange.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification at San Diego, Calif, this 24th day of December, 1929.

ALBERT J. OHAPIN. GEO. W. SHAVER. 

